Lost in Sauce All Alone
by LocquaciousLinoone
Summary: Corrin, a professional chef fresh out of college, finds himself caught between two rival restaurants: Hoshido Hibachi and the Nohr Steakhouse. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! This is my first venture into the realm of Fanfiction, but don't go easy on the reviews. I appreciate any feedback, be it 'I enjoyed this chapter, but' or 'This is why I don't like your story' or even 'This is literal cancer, please stop' (so long as you explain why it was awful). Another quick note- this story has humor in the genre, but this first chapter came off as more serious than I would've liked, so I added drama. I promise the next few will be less emotional. Without further ado- on with the story!**

Only one word adequately described Corrin's emotions as he brandished his brand new college diploma: FREEDOM!

Freedom to choose where he wanted to spend his life, toiling away in the hopes of achieving his lifelong dream of owning his very own restaurant where families could enjoy a peaceful night out without concern for the constant money-grubbing schemes of the large food chains. One such chain was Nohr Steakhouse, the epitome of a 'high-end' dining experience thinly veiling a most disgusting plot to empty the customers' wallets. The CEO of Nohr, Garon Dusk, insisted that his corporation was determined to give its patrons the most dignified atmosphere in a steakhouse at the lowest possible price. Of course, all CEOs would say that about their treasured companies, but Garon specifically disgusted Corrin because of his repulsive behavior at home. How he had won his mother's heart, Corrin would never know.

Corrin had grown up surrounded by half-siblings. His mother, Mikoto, was in her third marriage, the first two having been cut short after Corrin's father left and her second husband died in a car accident. Garon was Mikoto's third husband, and, to Corrin's knowledge, the laziest and most revolting of the three. He spent his days threatening interns and employees, his nights sprawled across the couch in the living room demanding more beer from his wife. He WAS the CEO of Nohr, but that gave him no excuse to treat his own wife like an underling!

Corrin was torn from his thoughts by an abrupt slap to the back and a giddy laugh. He turned to witness his best friend Hinata pump his fist in excitement.

"YEAH! How's it feel, huh?! WE'RE DONE!" Hinata yelled, drawing the attention of several passersby.

Corrin couldn't help but chuckle at the brunette's energy. Hinata had always been a bit… extra, but Corrin figured it made his days a little more vibrant.

"It's an awesome feeling! We can finally begin our lives in earnest," was Corrin's reply.

Hinata's grin widened. "Just think: you can finally start that restaurant you're always talking about, and I can begin my training to become a SAMURAI!"

This was an inside joke of theirs. Hinata's family was big into kendo, and he was no exception. His largest aspiration was to one day own a dojo to train his own generation of 'tiny samurai,' as his family called the members of their dojo. Of course, Hinata wasn't the oldest in his family, so he wouldn't inherit his father's dojo. He'd have to launch his own.

Corrin and Hinata resumed their trek through the post-graduation crowds, navigating carefully towards their parking spots (adjacent, which occurred by pure coincidence as Hinata had shown up late to their first day of classes and taken the first open spot he saw. He had stuck to it ever since.)

A flash of purple hair alerted Corrin to an approaching female. The school fashion diva, Oboro, was outgoing and sociable, and this encounter was no exception. She waved to the duo as she sauntered up to them.

"Hey boys, there's a graduation party at Orochi's tonight at six if you wanna come," she offered once she was close enough to engage in conversation.

"HA! WE'LL BE THERE!"

Corrin mentally cringed. It was no secret that Hinata had a major crush on Oboro, but his tendency to yell (more than usual) when she was around startled Corrin every time. He decided to cover for his friend before he made an even bigger fool of himself.

"That sounds great. I appreciate the invitation, Oboro."

She flashed her signature smirk. "Hinata appreciates it even more, apparently."

The aforementioned brunette rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "...Yeah, I guess so. I hear Orochi makes an AWESOME punch!"

Corrin suppressed a laugh at his friend's diversion. He knew full well why Hinata was pumped for the celebration. "Do you know who else is going?"

Oboro tapped her foot in thought. "I hear that Xander and Ryoma will both be there to cater for the party. A little variety in the food should spice things up… not to mention the rivalry between those two."

Corrin blanched.

Hinata, taking notice of his friend's odd gesture, asked, "Hey! What's wrong? Scared of a little competition?!"

"No," Corrin said with a sigh, "But they'll both be expecting a reply to their respective job offers."

Hinata snorted and clapped Corrin on the back. "Don't sweat it! They'll understand no matter WHICH restaurant you choose to work for!"

 _That's the thing. Neither of them seem ready to accept me deserting their side of this debate._

Oboro rolled her eyes. "You'd better show up in something snazzier than _that_ if you're coming. That goes for both of you."

Hinata winked. "I can do SNAZZY!"

Corrin smiled in spite of the situation. Even if his two older brothers were competing for his service, he could still try to have some fun before the serious tone overwhelmed him.

"I'm sure you can, Hinata. See you guys later!"

With those parting words, Oboro walked off. Hinata turned to Corrin. "Hey, you think I have a shot?!"

"You can do most anything you set your mind to," Corrin answered somewhat cryptically.

"That's not an answer!" Hinata shouted. They had reached the parking lot, and, in lieu of answering, Corrin laughed, waved a quick goodbye, and climbed into the cab of his car.

* * *

"Ahhh~!"

Corrin heaved a great sigh of relief as he collapsed onto his couch within his small, cozy apartment. He had spent the last weekend moving things in with the assistance of one of his younger brothers, Takumi. He reached for the remote, intent on switching on the news channel, but stopped abruptly as a small giggle erupted from somewhere behind him. The sound was immediately followed by panicked shushing, which only caused more poorly suppressed giggling. He smiled, knowing the source of the sounds could only be two people.

"Hm, I think I'll go get some food before I settle down to watch the news," Corrin stated loudly. "I'll just have to pass by this couch and try not to trip on anything… or any _one._ "

The last bit was emphasized pointedly. He heard scuttling behind his couch, and tried to hide a giggle of his own as he heard a voice sputter out in a whisper, "H-hey! Elise! You're stepping on m-my dress!"

" _Sorry! ..._ D'you think he heard us?"

"I don't know, did I?" Corrin asked, leaning over the couch to spot his younger sisters, Elise and Sakura, scrambling away from him.

"AH!"

"EEK!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Corrin let out a hearty chuckle. "Hello, Elise, Sakura. Any reason you're hiding out in my apartment, or were you just bored?"

Elise puffed out her cheeks in a childlike pout. "Why'd you have to ruin the surprise? We were gonna throw a party for you getting out of school, but you caught us!"

Sakura looked close to tears. "We're very sorry, brother! We j-just wanted to make you happy!"

Elise nodded her head vigorously, her blonde tresses bouncing. "Ever since Xander and Ryoma started fighting, we thought you were sad! So we wanted to throw a surprise party to cheer you up!"

"Whoa, whoa! Who said I was angry?" Corrin questioned. "I'm happy to see you thinking about others' emotions, but what's happening with Xander and Ryoma isn't your fault. You shouldn't feel guilty about what you did; the opposite, in fact!"

Sakura let out the breath she had been holding, finally content that she wasn't in trouble. Elise beamed at Corrin's praise, and threw her arms around him in a hug.

"So, do you want anything to drink?" Corrin asked, his instincts as a host beginning to kick in.

"Leave everything to us, big brother!" Elise declared.

Sakura added, "We brought you cookie cake…"

At this, Corrin's eyes widened. "Cookie cake? How'd you know it's my favorite?"

Elise stuck out her chest in pride. "Leo told us you were practicular to this varicety of dessert!"

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure he didn't say that I'm _particular_ to this _variety_ of dessert?"

But Elise was no longer listening, as she raced off to retrieve the treat. Sakura meekly replied, "That sounds about right…"

Corrin stared suspiciously at his red-haired younger sibling. "...You know you can tell me anything, Sakura. You're worried about something- I can tell by the way you're acting shyer than usual."

Sakura flinched, as if hit by a stray baseball bat. "I… suppose you're right… It's about Takumi and Ryoma."

"What about them?"

"They seem… distant. It's like they only care about their jobs at Hoshido right now."

Grimacing, Corrin stated, "I thought that might be the case. Look, Sakura, it's none of your concern what they do or say concerning the restaurant. If you don't want to work there when you grow older, then you aren't obligated to. They want all of the men in the family to pass down the company name, but… well, it's complicated. They think I'm obligated to be the next to join the crew, but I'm not sure it's the right path for me. I'll have to make a decision eventually," _Tonight,_ he corrected in his head, "but for now, you shouldn't be too worried about it, all right?"

It wasn't Sakura's responsibility to be concerned, but Corrin dreaded the decision in the dark recesses of his mind. Join Hoshido Hibachi Grill, cooking alongside Ryoma and his elite group of chefs? Or did his loyalties lie with Nohr Steakhouse, reforming the values that the corporation held alongside Xander and his companions?

Sakura sighed. "All right."

"Speaking of not worrying… the cake is here!"

 **As a side note, if you were wondering everyone's degrees, Corrin has one in culinary arts and Hinata studied business management. Next chapter, we will witness Corrin and Hinata's shenanigans at Orochi's party, and some Corrin/Big Bros interaction. Adieu!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter would've come out yesterday, but for some reason when I tried to save a good portion of it the site decided it had better things to do than what it's actually intended for. I had to rewrite a bit, but had a blast doing it regardless. Without further ado- A less serious chapter!**

Corrin swiveled to his left, admiring his dapper appearance in the mirror. His long, unruly white hair was tied back into a slick ponytail, and a white suit and bowtie adorned his body. He wore black dress pants and two supremely uncomfortable black shoes. All of this preparation may have seemed pointless to outsiders, but Corrin felt he had to look his best even if the party was a somewhat casual event.

Satisfied with the results of his primping, Corrin turned to his younger sisters for approval. "How do I look?"

Sakura blushed. "I don't know why you're asking us, b-but I think you look great…"

Elise beamed. "You look ready to party! Maybe you'll finally meet a girl prettier than me!"

Corrin laughed at his sisters' words. "Thanks Sakura… And, Elise, I doubt I'll ever meet anyone more beautiful than my little sisters."

"Aww, thanks! I guess we have to leave now, right?"

"Yeah… speaking of which, how'd you get here?" Corrin asked, suspicion tinging his voice.

"We… um… took the subway?" Elise suggested dubiously.

"Yeah, right, I know how Father feels about you doing that. He'd never lend you the money to let you ride the subway. Who drove you?"

Sakura stared at her feet, cheeks burning in shame. "W-we got Elise's friend Odin to drive us."

If Corrin was drinking anything, he would've spewed it everywhere. "WHO?!"

"Odin, you know, the transfer from a school he calls the 'halls of darkness?' He's really nice… and he's old enough to drive us!"

"The Halls of Darkness… The bloody _tragedies_ that occurred under cover of night in that foul haven of evil! It makes my blood ACHE!"

"GAH!"

Corrin jumped high enough to touch the ceiling with his palms if he had tried.

"WHAT THE HECK?! HOW DID YOU GET IN?!"

Odin stretched out his hand in a theatrical motion. "The Dark Lords granted me a portal through which our fates could cross!"

"The Dark Lords are about to grant you a BLACK EYE if you don't GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT!" Corrin shouted.

"Big Brot- I mean, Corrin! He's just saying that he climbed in through the window! No need to get mad!" Elise attempted to defuse the situation.

"How is that even possible? I'm on the _third floor!_ "

"The secrets of my Dark Magic cannot be revealed to the unenlightened!" Odin laughed, though his confident facade began to falter when he caught Corrin's enraged gaze. "Yes, in fact the, um, Dark Lords might not enjoy my spending time in-"

"Get. Out."

"Y-yes! Going!"

Odin made a hasty retreat, nearly knocking over Corrin's potted plant decoration (a pitiful, withering daisy which happened to be the only flower he could reasonably afford in the shop he searched in). He fumbled with the doorknob before stumbling out the door, into the hallway, and out of sight.

"Corriiiiiiiin!" Elise whined. "Why were you so mean? He won't like me anymore!"

"So that's what this is about?" Corrin quirked an eyebrow.

Elise huffed and looked away.

"I suppose it's none of my business… but stay out of trouble, hear- Oh, SHOOT!"

"What?!" Sakura asked, startled.

"I'm gonna be LATE! It's six o'clock… and the party starts at six!" Corrin made a mad dash to the door, entirely forgetting the appetizer that he had prepared as a refreshment for the partygoers. That is, until he bumped into the edge of the tray, sending it cascading dramatically in an ungraceful fall to the tile floor below. A large glob of hummus plastered itself to his clean white suit, but Corrin didn't even notice. "Ughhh… Sakura, mind cleaning that up? Thanks bye!" He whipped open the door and rushed outside, only to lean back in the door moments later, snatching up his car keys. "See you for real this time!"

Corrin's two younger sisters stared at each other until Sakura finally spoke.

"Do you think he noticed-"

"Nope."

"Then shouldn't we-"

"No reason, he'll figure it out soon enough."

The drive to Orochi's was hectic. Corrin swerved in and out of traffic, avoiding drivers even more frantic than him as he simultaneously attempted to make sure his hair wasn't frazzled or ruined in any manner. These things take a great deal of time and effort, you see- impeccable hair is indispensable when attempting to pull off a civilized and gentlemanly appearance. At least, that's what the celebrity on TV always said- the one with white hair and all of the 'best hair' awards? The name was on the tip of Corrin's tongue, but he had larger fish to fry. Such as how he was going to explain being thirty minutes late to the festivities to his best (and arguably only) friend.

At six twenty nine, Corrin pulled into the driveway of a violently violet home. Multicolored lights pulsed from the windows, combining with the blaring music to make the house seem alive as it throbbed and thumped like a massive purple heart. The thought made our white haired protagonist shudder.

The scent of cigarette smoke wafted into Corrin's nose as he opened the door to his car and stepped out. He caught sight of a blonde-haired woman with an absurdly disproportionate chest (how did she even balance, being that topheavy?).

The woman glared at him. "Whaddaya want? You got a problem with me smoking?"

Corrin shook his head. "Of course not, ma'am," he answered politely. He strode past her and up the sidewalk leading to the front door, wary of her stare which lingered just a bit too long for his comfort. He rapped on the door, but either no one could hear over the music or they were just otherwise occupied. Instead of waiting for someone to open the door for him, Corrin pushed it open and walked inside.

The music, a mixture of multiple styles which Corrin couldn't identify, was deafening regardless of its contents. "Gah! Why is it so LOUD?"

"I don't know… but don't care, either. And I would appreciate it if you would move out of my personal space."

Corrin glanced around, trying to identify the source of the noise. No one appeared to be making eye contact or otherwise drawing his attention. He shrugged and took another step forward, only for a hard object to collide with his gut and knock the wind out of him (not without a little bit of his macho pride, as a small squeak escaped his lips as he was hit).

"Just WHAT do you think you're doing?!" the voice from earlier demanded. "I ask you to get out of my personal space and you take another step towards me!"

Corrin, clutching his stomach, glanced downwards. A young girl seeming no older than 12 was glaring upwards at him. She was at least a head shorter than him, which explained why he couldn't see her earlier. "Um... hi? Sorry about that, I couldn't see you since you're-"

"Yes, I'm well aware of my height," the girl snapped.

"So... what are you doing here? Did your older sister just graduate?" Corrin asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"...I just graduated from college. I am AT LEAST as old as you."

Corrin could tell from the girl's tone that she was seething, so he chose his next words tactfully and carefully, taking into account how sensitive this girl appeared to be and how the mention of her appearance seemed to aggravate her. "...Sorry, you just don't look any older than 12."

The slap heard around the world resonated throughout the party. The surrounding partygoers stopped their activities and stared, while others saw them abruptly halt and walked over to see what the big deal was. Corrin found himself surrounded by curious guests.

"Heh... Hi. We were just having a... misunderstanding," He explained awkwardly.

The girl's black hair swept behind her as she huffed and stormed away through the crowd. "I didn't catch your name!" Corrin called weakly after her.

The crowd suddenly parted as a brown haired man barreled through like a blind buffalo.

"Hey, Corrin, you're LATE!" Hinata called, oblivious to the tense atmosphere. "...And I didn't think yellow and white was your style, but it suits you!"

Corrin glanced down at his suit and noticed for the first time that he had hummus plastered to the front of his suit. "What the..."

"Like I said, it SUITS you! Get it?! Suits?!"

The crowd surrounding them literally groaned at the pun, most of them dispersing as they assumed the interesting bit had passed. Hinata grinned.

"It's about time you showed! I've got Oboro practically EATING out of my hand!"

"I think he means that he's spent the night being thoughtlessly rejected," Oboro called from across the room, somehow hearing them over the music courtesy of Hinata's loud voice.

He scowled. "Okay, well, maybe I haven't been the most successful, unlike THAT GUY over there!" He motioned to a silver haired man with earrings, who was currently sitting on the couch with his arms around two girls, looking particularly smug. "But I have a plan! We're going to the kitchen!"

This piqued Corrin's interest. He had never been the life of the party, but he could make his way around a kitchen with the best of them. "...All right, I'm listening."

"I'm going to make a romantic meal to share with Oboro. That's SURE to win her over!"

Hinata seemed immensely proud of his plan. Corrin, however, was doubtful. "Sure, that might work, but you're forgetting one key element- you're a terrible cook."

The brunette snapped his fingers and pointed at Corrin. "That's where YOU come in! YOU'RE GONNA COOK FOR US! Isn't this plan ingenious?!"

Corrin sighed. "There's no romantic value if you aren't putting in the work yourself to make the meal."

Hinata took a moment to think. "Then how about you TEACH me how to cook?!"

The snow-haired protagonist looked offended. "Cooking is an art, which cannot be taught in a single sitting! It takes years of experience and learning to even qualify as a simple-"

"Just one dish, Corrin!" Hinata pleaded.

Corrin was about to refuse again when he caught Hinata's gaze- that of a sad puppy. "... I'll teach you to make clam chowder. It only takes an hour maximum, but I can do it in less."

Hinata's ear-to-ear grin returned. "Thanks, man!"

* * *

"First, I'm going to need you to grab these ingredients from the pantry-" Corrin handed Hinata a list and motioned vaguely to the left, "-and hand them to me as I request them."

"Got it!" was Hinata's cheerful reply as he swung open the pantry door. "Let's see..." He glanced about the confined area, which was stocked to the brim with quality items for the creation of exquisite dishes. "Butter," he pocketed a stick of the substance, "diced onion," he grabbed a bag of white particles, "celery... hmm..." Seeing nothing of the sort, Hinata instead picked up a cucumber, shrugging. "This oughtta do!"

* * *

Corrin let out a massive yawn. "I guess all of today's excitement is finally catching up to me..."

Hinata entered moments later, brandishing a sack of flour and his pockets stuffed to the brim.

"Ah *YAWN* Hinata... Back already? Would you be angry if I didn't explain everything I'm doing? I'm kinda tired..." Corrin yawned for the third time in a minute.

"Sure thing!" Hinata affirmed.

"All right, first I'm going to need..."

Corrin proceeded to mix all of the ingredients in the proper order, hardly paying attention to what he was doing. _I could really use a nap after this,_ he mused internally. When everything was prepared, Corrin left the concoction to boil in a pot. Alarmingly, a putrid stench began to waft from the mixture as it heated. "Hey, Hinata, are you certain that you have all of the right things?"

Hinata shrugged nonchalantly. "I couldn't find everything, so I improvised. It's no big deal!"

"You WHAT?!"

"I did the best I could!" the brunette snapped defensively.

"You shou-"

Their argument was cut short by a yell emanating from the pantry. Corrin's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

"What?"

"XANDEEEEEEEER!"

Someone's shout pierced the air, sending a chill down Corrin's spine.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL OUR INGREDIENTS?!" the voice roared.

"I DID NOTHING OF THE SORT!" a different voice roared in return.

"Nononononononono..." Corrin took off in a sprint towards the pantry, leaving a confused Hinata in his wake.

"...What just happened?"

* * *

Corrin threw open the pantry door to witness two fully grown men in chef hats pointing various cooking instruments threateningly at each other. The brown haired man, brandishing a soup ladle, was pointing it accusingly at the other man, a blonde. "You scumbag! I should've known your dishonorable chain of garbage heaps would try something despicable like this! You would sabotage our ability to serve the guests?!"

"YOU speak to ME of honor?" the blonde man shouted back, waving his pair of tongs. "Your restaurant is the one cheating ours out of ingredients!"

* * *

A faint gurgling noise surfaced behind Hinata. He turned to witness the pot of clam chowder beginning to bubble over, raising the lid of the pot.

"Um... Corrin? Is it supposed to do that?"

The shouting in the pantry grew louder, and, almost as if it was mirroring the atmosphere of the situation, the mixture in the pot began to quiver violently.

"Corrin?!"

* * *

The white haired individual in question was currently standing in between his two brothers, holding out his arms in a placating gesture. "Ryoma, Xander didn't take your ingredients, and vice versa. This is just a misunderstanding; Hinata grabbed the wrong things by accident. If you would just put down the utensils-"

"Has he brainwashed you, Corrin? You honestly believe Nohr is above such lowly schemes?!" Ryoma interrupted.

Xander stared at his brown-haired counterpart with disdain. "He is lying to you, Corrin- Hoshido is the true perpetrator here."

Corrin sighed in exasperation. "You need to listen to me. It was nei-"

"ENOUGH!" Ryoma yelled. "It is time you pick a side! There are only two choices: us, or them."

"Brother, choose us. Ryoma is only concerned with the glory of his great father and his restaurant, whereas we in Nohr value the bonds between our employees above all," Xander coolly explained.

"Choose us; the proof of Nohr's vileness in in his words! They are fed to him by our disgusting stepfather, like pureed carrots to an infant!" Ryoma urged.

"Nohr!"

"Hoshido!"

"NOHR!"

"HOSHIDO!"

"SHUT UP!"

Both of Corrin's brothers were instantly silenced. They stared at him in shock, not knowing him as one to be easily angered. The fury in his eyes was not commonplace for the younger sibling they both knew and cherished. "Both of you, just stop! You're acting like-"

"AAAAHHHHH!"

Xander and Ryoma donned confused countenances. "Pardon, I didn't quite catch that," Xander stated.

"I said, you're acting like-"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

"What is that yelling?" Ryoma queried. Receiving no answer, he dashed out of the door, his two brothers at his heels.

A shadow loomed over the trio. A tall, slimy object emitted a repulsive gurgling sound as something struggled inside of it.

"Hinata?!" Corrin shouted in disbelief.

"MMMMMFFFF!"

"What..." Xander found himself at a loss for words. The slime slowly began to advance upon the three. Before it even made it halfway, however, the door to the kitchen swung open.

A pink haired woman ducked her head in. "I heard a commotion in here, which is rare when I'm not in the kitchen to drop all of the dishes and make a racket-"

She halted her monologue to stare in horror at the massive, gelatinous pile of assorted foods. "WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!" she shrieked and sprinted off.

"Wait, don't lure it-" Corrin warned, but the woman was already gone. "SHOOT!"

"SHLURRRRRMPPPPPP!" the beast cried (it would have you know that it was severely disappointed at its lack of mouth to make terrible, fear-inspiring noises. It was forced to settle for this suitably gross squelching noise instead). It rushed over the threshold into the party with astonishing speed.

"Well, she certainly hit the nail on the head..." Corrin muttered. "We've got trouble..."

 **AAAAAND Izana is a celebrity, Charlotte is as questionably proportioned as ever, Odin is... Odin, and Felicia says her line. It's what she's good at. All reviews are appreciated, and props to anyone who can guess what the emotion-sensitive slime was inspired by! Adieu!**


End file.
